A Fox in Wolves Clothing

I raised a fox in my basement, but it’s grown now. It looks more like a wolf to me. It’s of good size and not tame. The wolf is an inconvenience and I know that it would be fine living outdoors in the wild…that’s where it should be…this would be better for both of us. But there’s a dilemma. What if it is too dependent on me now and stays around and becomes a danger to small children nearby? What if the wolf starts eating them?

But in my house it poses this same danger. It could eat my family so I try to coax it out. I open the door to the outside, but it’s too afraid to run out. I try to scare it out, but I am afraid to give it cause to attack me.

I try to make sure everyone else inside is ok but none of the damned lights are working. Not one. I shout to my mother in the next room. To warn her. To have her get Dad. She tells me he’s in the next room and he cannot hear. It’s more than I can handle, so I wake up. Heart racing.

Am I dreaming in death? I was with a dead person in my dream a few nights ago too. I don’t realize that they’re dead in my dream. I remember this only after I wake and start to recall what I dreamed.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes? Really?

I found myself in a hallway, standing against the wall with huge windows on the opposite side. Women with large cameras started lining up along side me. I wondered for a moment, then figured out what was going on.

Oh. My. Goodness. I was with a handful of bloggers waiting to cover the President’s arrival at Walt Disney World! Can you believe it? And only moments ago, I was driving a stolen tractor.

I assumed they were lining up a day early to get a good spot…and that I would miss the actual arrival. But what do you know? A large thick, orange jet appears in the sky outside the windows and lands in front of us. HE’s here! It’s President Obama and his family…and I get to witness it all! I’m so incredibly excited!!

The first family disembarks the jet (in their jammies), and lucky me…I have camera in hand. I snap and snap, I snap away. I fiddle for my phone for a tweet. I accidentally grab the phone from the woman next to me and shamefully return it, half amused at my awkwardness. Me. She was not amused an iota.

The Obamas dash by quickly waving and smiling but there are entertainers of the circus parade variety following them and I try to get photos of it all. None of my pictures are turning out very good of course. But I keep trying.

After the hubbub has past, I notice a table of goodies set out before us. Several varieties of yummy cookies and cakes…but I can’t have any. Wretched gluten, you know. Still I look…and I inhale deeply to get a taste.

A fellow blogger makes a snide comment about having to show forever gratitude or risk never being invited again. So as I’m walking out, I thank everyone. I don’t really know who’s in charge, so I have to cover my bases. And I am grateful.

No one seems very fond of me, but then a shorter, thicker woman says, “That’s a nice look for you.” I smile and thank her. Until I notice that my skirt is in a bunch and unbuttoned. My pubic line is showing and I scramble to cover myself properly. I look back at the woman and see that she’s pulled off her wig. She’s actually a grumpy little man. It’s Disney.

I continue to walk and now I’m in a mall. But I can’t remember where I parked. I’m walking in circles trying to recall and realize I’m actually at school. Problem though…I cannot for the life of me remember my class schedule. I let myself off the hook because it’s a brand new semester, but I’m really puzzled as to why I don’t know where I’m supposed to be. I turn the corner and I’m in a hospital, then a Disney building and I’m back in the mall.

A group of Japanese entertainers, dressed as Chinese clowns are in front of me. The woman in charge of their group notices my dismay and decides to cheer me up…but I nearly fall in a giant fake egg roll. When a dog comes up behind me and starts to hump me…well I’ve had too much. It’s time to go.

I wake myself and I wonder, “Crap! Did I oversleep? Are the kids late for school?” But all is well, though my heart is really racing. Where in the world did this come from? YIKES! And except for the stupid rude dog…it was kind of fun.

Fall Family Party – Happy Haunts

We held our fall family party a couple weeks ago.

…gathered in my dad’s backyard to show-off our costumes.

…to roast wieners and marshmallows.

Plenty to eat and lots of treats.

There were games and a craft…

…and tattoos for the kids.

We could not have asked for nicer weather.

My Midwest Autumn Backyard

I thought I’d be blogging about a bountiful crop this year…lots of fresh produce, freezing and canning. I had high hopes, invested time and money, but Mother Nature wasn’t putting out this summer. Not enough rain to keep my beans going. My melons are the tiniest ever, mammoth sunflowers barely reached four feet tall.

My wonderful salsa bed has been the biggest disappointment of all. The plants look lovely and lush…but the tomatoes have not been ripening. My eggplant turned out to be the tiny white-fruited variety. They were tasty but few.

I still have hope for my carrot crop and the rutabagas are looking good too. I am so not ready for winter…but it’s coming regardless.

I walked around with my camera last week to see what’s on display in my back yard and found a few interesting things to share. It’s not winter yet!

A Day at the State Fair – Midwest Fun

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5 Minutes for Mom and the Wordless Wednesday hub.

A Midwest Bug’s Life

Don’t forget to click on individual photos in order to see the full screen version!

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5 Minutes for Mom and the Wordless Wednesday hub.

Midsummer Midwest Backyard

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5 Minutes for Mom and the Wordless Wednesday hub.

Music, Flowers and Mom Thoughts

While watching my flower video just now, I noticed my header flowers in it. I grew and photographed those asters back in 2009, then cut them to make a nice floral arrangement to take to my mother’s grave. She passed away in late 2008.

I photographed those specific flowers through the entire process and they eventually ended up on my blog. I love having them up there. Although they’re not really here anymore, they’re often in my mind. Like Mom.

Every now and then, I consider getting a blog facelift, but those flowers will have to stay right there at the top. They make me think each time I see them and I love that.

Anyhow…just sharing…a Mom thought.

And by the way…the Talking Heads get all the credit for the music in my video. I sincerely hope you’ll bother to click and watch it.

The flower photos were taken by me. I grew a lot of them and my Dad did too. A few were captured during walks with the kids and on vacations with my family. For some reason, I wanted to watch it this morning…which led me to thoughts…that drove me to the keyboard…which led me to this post.

Enjoy your day!

Midwest Summer Gardens

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5 Minutes for Mom and the Wordless Wednesday hub.

From Fresh-Picked to Home-Canned – Green Beans

I picked green beans again yesterday. Ended up with three pounds…making a total harvest of four pounds so far this season.

My original plan for yesterday’s harvest, was to cook up a mess for dinner…to accompany our barbecued butterfly pork chops. But while I was nipping, I changed my mind and started packing the clean beans into glass pint Mason jars.

I ended up with seven all together. They’re so pretty. I love canning.